Barrel Roll
Whiskey at Urban Farmer
Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 21, 2010 at 03:00PM
9 Comments
What better way to start the day than sipping whiskey straight from the barrel? I snagged an invite this morning to witness (and sample) some of the House Spirits-distilled whiskey that will be available exclusively at Urban Farmer, the spiffy steakhouse on the eighth floor of the Nines Hotel. Lee Medoff from House Spirits and Dan Stern, the head bartender at Urban Farmer, fielded my inane questions while tending to the business of tapping a 15-month-old barrel and bottling its potent contents for the restaurant’s discriminating clientele.
Medoff was the chemist in charge, dutifully adding water to the mix to arrive at a suitable proofage. We also passed around some of the “white dog” or moonshine that’s on the Urban Farmer menu, which is a lively clear spirit; essentially whiskey that hasn’t been aged at all. Both intern Robert Runyon and I found the elixir surprisingly easy to drink, with a strong floral profile.
“We’re not into labels,” Medoff explained, when I asked if the UF whiskey was based on any particular style (scotch, bourbon, sour mash, Canadian, etc.). “It’s Oregon whiskey made with Bull Run water and it’s composed of 80 percent rye and 20 percent barley.”
After several tastes (I lost count—and subsequently got lost looking for the elevator) of whiskey from different types of barrels (new American, new French, and second-filled American), I’m floored that so much of the whiskey’s aroma, mouth-feel, and flavor comes directly from the wood and nothing else. There are no additives in this mix: It’s all just hooch + barrel + time = smooth, delicious whiskey with a number of intriguing taste characteristics.
Normally, the Urban Farmer is a wee bit out of my price range (OK, it’s way out of my price range) but I’m going to put on my thinking cap and devise some ingenious way to become a regular. At least at the bar.
Tags: Whiskey
OK, seriously, your job is retarded. Are you sure you’re getting paid for this?
Oh yes, he will have paid for this.
Ways to become a bar regular: 1-moonlight as a bartender (you know you have the skills). 2-Figure out the appropriate number of friends required to chip in, and still feel chipper after the purchase of a bottle—and go forth. 3-Saddle up to the bar. Tell the bartender his fly is down, and help yourself while he’s not looking. 4-If the person behind the counter is female, enlist the help of a male friend you don’t like very much. Convince him to say inappropriate things to distract her, so that you may help yourself while she’s otherwise engaged in beating him to a bloody pulp. 5-Pose as a health code inspector, and INSIST on checking every bottle before giving them a passing grade. 6-Offer to tap dance on the bar, and sing Sinatra in a velvet Elvis costume. The only payment you require is whiskey.
I’ll buy you a drink if you sing Sinatra in a velvet Elvis costume. Two if you sing Elvis in a velvet Sinatra costume.
You’re about as funny as a cat named Bastard Squad.
@feralboy12: You’ve been out on a “special patrol”, haven’t you?
Yes, under the command of Colonel Freebase.
Here’s my question, as a lady, how do I partake in whiskey without putting hairs on my chest?
And don’t get me wrong, sometimes I like an on-the-rocks-elbows-on-the-bar evening.
But what if its a first date? And I’m in kitten heels?
@BB: The answer is simple. Sip, sip, sip gently into this good night. Make your whiskey last for at least an hour. Take teeny, tiny little mouthfuls, work it around, and concentrate on the contrasting flavors. Make note of as many as you can. How’s the finish? Is there a burn? Give yourself a task while tippling—helps keep your wits about you even in kitten heels!